History of the TMRC
The aim of this initiative is to develop a world-leading network of clinical and scientific excellence throughout Scotland called the Translational Medicine Research Collaboration. The TMRC is investing more than £50million into clinical research in Scotland over the period 2006-2011, placing Scotland as a world leader in translational medicine.
Life sciences is recognised as a key sector in Scotland’s economy, as exemplified by the launch of the Scottish Life Sciences Strategy in February 2005. This strategy emphasises the requirement to achieve critical mass to compete in the global marketplace, and the need for each stakeholder in the sector including industry, NHS Scotland and academia to work “ smarter” to identify and play to our strengths. NHS Scotland and the University Medical Schools in Scotland are committed to positioning Scotland as a ’ single research site’, boosting Scotland’s international competitiveness.
The NHS and universities are working together to create a “fully connected” network to deliver clinical research. This network comprises:
- Newly built or refurbished state-of the art, joint university/NHS clinical research facilities sited in the four major academic centres (Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow).
- Harmonised management and operating procedures across the four sites so that, while they can function in the local setting, national programmes (large scale clinical trials, epidemiological studies) can be mounted readily and seamlessly.
- National education and training programmes for clinical researchers to meet the requirements of research governance and EU legislation and
- A ‘virtual private informatics network’ for secure, confidential data transmission and administration between sites.
The mounting of national disease registers (stroke, diabetes, renal disease etc) on the virtual network will provide a stable platform for their development and exploitation. An integrated approach is being undertaken to the establishment, development and use of expensive imaging techniques which are the core of 21 st century medicine. The clinical research facilities will form a ‘backbone’ support structure accessible to local clusters of academic biomedical research institutes and the biotechnology industry.